In this lesson let’s discuss excuses and why we should not go around making them.
Excuses are lies we don’t want to face and are a sin. That’s right. That little excuse you made was a lie, and a lie is a sin. Why not just tell the truth and just say you didn’t want to do whatever it was? Oh, right, you don’t want to upset someone or have them think less of you because you didn’t do what you said you would do. Ummmmm! When we make excuses, it can lead to even more sin in our life. For after you do it once or twice it becomes a lot easier to keep doing it. It is not a good thing in the eyes of God to make excuses and/or justify wrong behavior.
We all sin and that is a fact that the Bible tells us. When we do sin, we should go to God, confess and repent/change our direction. However, there are many people out there that go about every day even willingly and willfully sinning. They practice sin-like athletes practice for the Olympics. (Don’t get upset that example came to mind)
If we are a Christians we should not be going around willfully sinning. It is wrong! Don’t practice sin.
Let’s talk church for a moment here. You call yourself a Christian, but you say you won’t go because the church is full of hypocrites. Yeah, and you would be one of them. What is the purpose that you are going to go to church to get warm fuzzies, to look good so people will somehow admire you, or to be able to say you went? Do you even listen to the sermon? Does it 100% line up with the word of God? Do you judge others in the church as to what they wear, who they are with, how they worship, or what they give? However, don’t use hypocrite as your reason for not going anywhere you will ever go in this life it will have hypocrites. The reason you go to church is to worship God, learn of God, and share God. You accept Jesus as your Lord for your life not to please anyone else either. We are responsible for our salvation.
Isn’t it time to ask yourself if what you are doing or not doing is an excuse!!!
Now, if you feel God is telling you to do something did you pray about it? God doesn’t lead us astray. If it comes from God then what are you waiting for? Do it! When we are doing God’s will there will be a way to accomplish what it is that God wants us to. He didn’t say everything in life would be easy, but He did say He is with us and when we are doing His will we know He is. Yes, we all have made excuses but we shouldn’t and we should stop making them now. If you give your word on something and something you feel is better comes along…stop! Do what you said you would do. Next time it might be you in need and those you count on making the excuses.
So think today what you have recently made an excuse for doing or not doing. Did you pray or say you didn’t find the time? Did you share your faith? Why or why not? Do you play the blame game and blame others for things you did or did not do? Are you a doer of God’s word or do you sit there while expecting others to do what you won’t do? There are a million things that can be listed here but you get the picture. Right?
How many people are quiet Christians? Oh, inside they claim to be but no one would ever know it? How would you like God to treat you like that? If you are a Christian then be one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People should be also able to see that you are because you are not living like the world does, doing what the world does, talking like the world does, hanging out as the world does, and so on
Again, don’t play the blame game…you be better than that. The blame game began in the Garden of Eden…it was Adam that played it first.
- Genesis 3:11-13 Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Both made excuses, and both played the first blame game. Stop it! If you do something then be godly enough to acknowledge you did it. Ever wonder what if both of them would admit it, confessed it, and repented of it (changed their way)…how would the world be today?
Do you even realize that when we sin the Holy Spirit is there and convicting us of sin? However, some people won’t stop and some will ignore that convicting spirit they are feeling.
Another thing…do you consider yourself to be a lazy person? Would God consider you to be a lazy person? There is a saying in the Bible and you can add any situation in its place to see if you would be considered a lazy person. 6. Proverbs 22:13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” Well, what if it was a member of your family out there that the lion was going to devour? Would you even get up and go out and help then? Lazy people might even think they are wise staying in bed and ignoring whatever is going on outside, but actually, they are but a fool who only considers themselves.
A lazy person procrastinates and makes excuses. Don’t be one of these.
Are you living in the light or are you choosing in living in the dark?
Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the LORD’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” This is a verse in the Bible you just might want to study. God is just and justice is coming. Just because you have not yet felt His justice don’t take it as whatever you are doing or not doing that God is okay with it. If it is wrong what you do…then God has given you time to repent. Also, God has a specific day set aside we don’t know the day or hour when He will return and justice will come. I wonder how many will be sorry they didn’t listen and confess and repent then? Now is the time to get and stay right with God.
A huge lie and a huge excuse is going on out there. First of all, God is God no matter what you want to believe. There is also no excuse for believing there is no God. You can see God in everything out there He created. Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
What about the excuses in marriage? You find out something you don’t like about your spouse, or you think that person who is flirting with you would be better than your spouse for you…first didn’t you make a commitment to love your spouse? Even if you don’t know it you made that commitment before God, but many will still go on to make excuse after excuse as to why they should divorce. When did you stop loving them? Why not work on your marriage? Again, the grass is not greener for you will find the weeds are there as well. People all change that is a given, but you choose to love your spouse. They don’t always please you any more than you always please them. Choose to love them and find a way to get that back. Don’t give up. Again, I am not talking about abusive people…no one has to put up with being abused…ever!
How many of us have made excuses for not going out and doing God’s will? Do you realize not everyone is called upon to be a Billy Graham? Some will never be rich, famous, or have a platform as he did, but we can all do something. Your witness might be your home, your extended family, your co-workers, or the person at the gym God puts there for you to tell about Jesus. Let God place you where He wants you for when He does…He will show you how to act or witness in front of them. Also, everyone is in a different spot in their walk with God. I don’t need to compare my walk with yours or yours mine. I just need to do what God gives me to do.
So what did we get out of this lesson on excuses? First of all, we live in a fallen world and because we do, stuff happens. However, the greatest choice you will ever make upon this earth is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Do you know where you will go the instant you take your last breath on this earth? Don’t you want to? Some people think that they are a good people so God will let them into heaven, but do you know that is not the requirement for heaven? Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one will be allowed entrance into heaven without Jesus being their Lord and Savior. Our life on this earth is but a vapor no matter how long we live here. There is also the so-called Christian who has not a relationship with Jesus…they will also be turned away.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Some people will say that is harsh and how can that be? It can be because you were not a “real” Christian. You might have gone to church and sat in a pew, sang songs, and listened to the sermons…but you had no relationship with Jesus. It is easy to be a real Christian. The choice is easy to be a Christian. Jesus wants a relationship with you. He wants time with you. He wants you to learn of Him and do as He wants. You might impress people within the church by being there, but they are not the ones who open the door to heaven…Jesus is. God doesn’t want you to miss heaven. He is giving you another chance to ask Him into your heart for real and to have a relationship with Him. Will you choose to do that today…right now? If not when? What if that time you set to say yes to Him never comes? What if your life is taken from you before then? God doesn’t want any of us to miss heaven, but our own choice of acceptance or rejection seals our destiny. Don’t make an excuse here and say you will think about it, or maybe tomorrow, or when this or that. You make a choice right now. God will honor that choice. Choose wisely. People, we all need to just stop making excuses about everything in our life, but this is the most important decision you will ever make…it is your eternal life we are talking about. Please pray and choose wisely.